Central Forest Timber Wolf Monitoring
Progress Report - Summer 1998
Richard P. Thiel
Sandhill Outdoor Skills Center
Summer 1998 Howl Surveys. Informal surveys were conducted within 3 radioed
packs to verify pup production. Contact was made with the Wildcat Pack (August
11/18), the Bear Bluff Pack (July 15/ Aug 10, 15) and the Dead Creek Pack (Aug 11 ).
Formal surveys were run on 4 nights in 3 different areas (SE Babcock, Waterbury,
Sherwood) by DNR staff outside known, established packs where wolf sign was found
in winter 1997-98. A pack with pups responded in the Sherwood area on 11 August,
leading to the discovery of a previously unrecognized group. In addition, volunteer
Cindy Mueller conducted surveys in Sandhill periodically, and made contact with a
group with pups immediately southwest of Sandhill on 31 August. Although this is
within the South Bluff Pack's territory, we suspect these animals were actually Sandhill
wolves.
1998 Trap/ Radio-collaring Efforts. Four wolves were captured (Table 1 ), and two
were collared in 304 trapnights of effort (1 wolf 176 trapnights) between 9 May and 4
September. Spring trapping accounted for 233 trapnights and one capture (wolf 002);
occasional homesite trapping between mid July and early September accounted for 71
trapnights and 3 captures (Table 1 ).
Table 1 . Capture data on wolves captured in the Central Forest in summer, 1998.
| Date |
Pack |
Wolf ID# |
Age |
Sex |
Wt [lbs) |
5-10-98
7-16-98
8-13-98
8-25-98 |
Wildcat
Bear Bluff
Bear Bluff
Wildcat |
002
004
006
301 |
Yrlg
Pup
Pup
Pup |
F
M
M
M |
56
34
48
29 |
Population Parameters
Distribution. Map 1 shows the known distribution of wolf pack activity in the Central
Forest, summer 1998. The present known range lies south of Highways 95 and 73,
east of I-94, west of Highways 13 and 80 and north of Highways EW and 173. Seven
groups are located within this area. At least three groups are new this year: the
Sandhill group, Dead Creek Pack, and the 2-Korner Pack. No work was conducted in
the Seneca area immediately west of Wisconsin Rapids, although sign of a single wolf
was observed there this past winter. In addition, Wildlife Biologist P. Engman reported
tracks of 2 wolves on 28 July in Clark County Forest lands near the Eau Claire County
line west of Rock Dam Lake. This is sufficiently north of all other known wolf pack
territories, and it is possible that a group of wolves occupies that area.
Pup Productivity, 1998. At least five groups produced pups this summer: Wildcat Pack,
Bear Bluff Pack, Dead Creek Pack, Sandhill Group, 2-Korner Pack (Table 2). A
minimum of 15-17 pups were accounted for with a mean of 3.0 - 3.4 pups per pack.
Insufficient work was conducted within South Bluff and the Waterbury areas to
determine whether pups were produced in these packs.
Table 2. Pack composition/productivity based on howling and telemetry data, summer
1998.
| Pack |
Year Established |
No. Adults |
No. Yrlgs |
No. Pups |
Total |
| Wildcat |
1990? |
2 |
3 - 4 |
3 - 4 + |
8 - 10 + |
| Bear Bluff |
1990? |
2 |
3 - 4 |
3 - 4 + |
8 - 10 + |
| Dead Creek |
1998 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
5 |
| Sandhill |
1998 |
2 - 3 |
0 |
3 |
5 - 6 |
| 2-Korner |
1998 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
5 |
| Waterbury |
- 1994 |
unk |
unk |
unk |
unk |
| South Bluff |
1996 |
unk |
unk |
unk |
unk |
| Total |
10 - 13 |
6 - 8 |
15 - 17+ |
31 - 38+ |
|
